| name | ecommerce.patent-risk-checker |
| version | 1.1.0 |
| description | Screen product patent/IP infringement risk by image/product context. Triggers: safe to sell, will I get sued, IP risk, FTO, patent clearance. Use for product-level risk screening, not single-patent claim/legal-status queries.
|
| allowed-tools | ["Bash","Read","Write"] |
| metadata | {"requires":{"apis":["nexscope"]}} |
IMPORTANT — Working Directory: All scripts in this skill MUST be executed with the working directory set to the absolute path of the directory containing this SKILL.md file (the skill root directory). Always cd into this directory before running any command. Do NOT use relative paths or shell shortcuts like ~ in paths, as they may not be resolved by the execution environment.
Patent Risk Checker v1.1.0
Core Question
Does this product have patent/IP infringement risk in the target market?
Product Understanding Step
Before running this skill, if the user provides a product, image, ASIN, listing, product ID, or product idea, first identify:
- product type/category
- main use case
- key physical, design, or functional features
- target marketplace, country, or platform
- user's analysis goal
Use this product understanding to choose parameters, filters, competitors, regions, keywords, or analysis dimensions before executing the script.
Does this product have patent risks?
Patent infringement risk assessment via image search.
Clarify or Infer Before Querying
- If product image or product context is missing, ask for image URL, listing, or product details.
- Clarify target countries/regions before risk screening.
- Use patent-report-generator when the user asks for a complete clearance report.
Differs From / Not Applicable
- Use design-patent-analyzer for visual design-patent similarity only.
- Use patent-claim-analyzer for a known patent claim.
- Use patent-legal-status for expiration/validity.
- Use patent-report-generator for complete clearance reports.
Workflow
- Understand product image/context and target regions.
- Search for similar design/utility patent risks.
- Assess similarity, active status, and litigation/legal relevance.
- Return risk level, closest patents, and whether deeper claim/legal review is needed.
Usage
python3 scripts/patent_risk_checker.py '{"imageUrl": "https://example.com/product.jpg", "regions": "US,EU"}'
python3 scripts/patent_risk_checker.py '{
"imageUrl": "https://example.com/product.jpg",
"productTitle": "Wireless Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation",
"productDescription": "TWS earbuds with ANC, 30hr battery...",
"regions": "US"
}'
python3 scripts/patent_risk_checker.py '{"imageUrl": "..."}' --chart /tmp/charts
⚠️ MANDATORY: Charts & Display Rules
- Generate charts by default for full analytical reports — use
--chart with an output directory unless the user asks for a quick text-only result or chart data is unavailable.
- Send generated charts to the user — when charts are created, share all chart PNGs immediately.
- All chart styling is driven by
ecommerce_chart_helpers.py which reads from chart_style.json (derived from references/display-rules.md). Do NOT hardcode colors in scripts.
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|
imageUrl | string | Yes | - | Product image URL (required) |
countries | string | No | | Target countries (comma-separated, e.g. "US,EU,CN") |
limit | int | No | 50 | Max patents to return per type |
Supported Regions
| Region | Code | Patent Office |
|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | US | USPTO |
| 🇪🇺 European Union | EU | EPO |
| 🇨🇳 China | CN | CNIPA |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | JP | JPO |
| 🇰🇷 Korea | KR | KIPO |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | DE | DPMA |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | GB | UKIPO |
| 🇫🇷 France | FR | INPI |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | IT | UIBM |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | AU | IP Australia |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | CA | CIPO |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | BR | INPI |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | MX | IMPI |
| 🇮🇳 India | IN | IPO India |
Risk Levels
| Score | Level | Meaning | Recommendation |
|---|
| 0-25 | 🟢 LOW | Minimal risk | Proceed with confidence |
| 26-50 | 🟡 MEDIUM | Some concerns | Review flagged patents |
| 51-75 | 🟠 HIGH | Significant risk | Legal consultation advised |
| 76-100 | 🔴 CRITICAL | Major infringement risk | Do not proceed |
Risk Scoring Algorithm
Risk Score = (
Similarity × 50% +
Legal_Status × 30% +
Litigation × 20%
)
Component Breakdown
| Factor | Weight | Logic |
|---|
| Similarity | 50% | Highest similarity × 100 |
| Legal Status | 30% | % of active patents |
| Litigation | 20% | 100 if litigation history, else 0 |
Output Structure
The output will be a structured markdown report, following this format:
Product Patent Risk Check Report: [Product Image URL]
1. Executive Summary
- Input Image: [imageUrl]
- Target Countries: [countries] (if provided)
- Overall Risk Score: [risk_summary.overall_score]
- Risk Level: [risk_summary.level] ([risk_summary.emoji])
- Recommendation: [Recommendation from Risk Levels table for corresponding level]
- Core Insight: This report assesses potential patent infringement risks related to the product image, covering both design and utility patents.
2. Risk Overview
- Design Patent Risk Score: [risk_summary.design_patent_risk]
- Utility Patent Risk Score: [risk_summary.utility_patent_risk]
3. Alerts & Risk Events
| Alert Type | Severity | Trigger Condition (Detailed Description) |
|---|
| [alerts[0].type] | [alerts[0].severity] | [alerts[0].description] |
| ... | ... | ... |
| (Listing all identified alerts) | | |
4. Design Patent Analysis
- Matching Patent Count: [design_patents.count]
- Highest Similarity: [design_patents.highest_similarity]
- TRO Flagged Count: [design_patents.tro_flagged] (if
tro_flagged exists)
- Top 3 Matching Design Patents:
| Patent Number | Title | Similarity% | Status |
|---|
| [design_patents.top_matches[0].patent_number] | [design_patents.top_matches[0].title] | [design_patents.top_matches[0].similarity_pct]% | [design_patents.top_matches[0].status] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
5. Utility Patent Analysis
- Matching Patent Count: [utility_patents.count]
- Highest Similarity: [utility_patents.highest_similarity]
- TRO Flagged Count: [utility_patents.tro_flagged] (if
tro_flagged exists)
- Top 3 Matching Utility Patents:
| Patent Number | Title | Similarity% | Status |
|---|
| [utility_patents.top_matches[0].patent_number] | [utility_patents.top_matches[0].title] | [utility_patents.top_matches[0].similarity_pct]% | [utility_patents.top_matches[0].status] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |
6. Actionable Recommendations
- Based on Overall Risk Level: [Recommendation from Risk Levels table for corresponding level]
- Specific Recommendations: (if
insights includes a recommendations list)
7. Attached Visualizations
- Risk Gauge (1_risk_gauge.png)
- Similarity Distribution (2_similarity.png)
- Region Coverage (3_regions.png)
- Patent Expiration Timeline (4_timeline.png)
Alert Types
| Alert | Severity | Trigger |
|---|
| 🚨 LITIGATION_HISTORY | CRITICAL | Patent has litigation event history |
| ⚠️ HIGH_SIMILARITY | HIGH | Design ≥80% or Utility ≥70% |
| ⚠️ MODERATE_SIMILARITY | MEDIUM | Design 60-80% similarity |
Charts Generated
| Chart | Description | File |
|---|
| Risk Gauge | Overall risk visualization | 1_risk_gauge.png |
| Similarity Distribution | Patent similarity breakdown | 2_similarity.png |
| Region Coverage | Risk by target market | 3_regions.png |
| Timeline | Patent expiration timeline | 4_timeline.png |
Best Practices
When to Check
- Before sourcing — Check supplier samples
- Before listing — Verify main product images
- Before PPC — Don't advertise risky products
- Periodically — New patents file constantly
What to Do with Results
| Risk Level | Action |
|---|
| 🟢 LOW | Document check, proceed |
| 🟡 MEDIUM | Review specific patents, modify if needed |
| 🟠 HIGH | Get legal opinion before proceeding |
| 🔴 CRITICAL | Do not sell this product |
Limitations
- Visual search works best with clear product images
- Utility search requires accurate product descriptions
- Results are advisory, not legal advice
- Some newer patents may not be indexed yet
Data Sources
| Source | Endpoint | Data |
|---|
| Zhihuiya | /api/v1/tools/research/zhihuiya/patentImageSearch (Design, model=1) | Design patent visual similarity |
| Zhihuiya | /api/v1/tools/research/zhihuiya/patentImageSearch (Utility, model=4) | Utility patent image similarity |
| Zhihuiya | /api/v1/tools/research/zhihuiya/legalStatus | Legal status and litigation event history |
Coverage: 170M+ patents from 150+ countries. Litigation, Transfer, License, Pledge event records included.
Environment Variables
| Variable | Required | Description |
|---|
NEXSCOPE_PROXY_BASE | Yes | NexScope proxy base URL |
NEXSCOPE_API_KEY | Yes | NexScope proxy API key |
References
